overanalyzing stuff no one cares about #2

[petsohp]

Don Quijote is a very popular retail store in Japan.

So I'll just say that I'm from spanish speaking LATAM, so when I first found out about this store, I obviously went 'Why did a japanese man decided to name a store chain after spanish classic novel Don Quijote?

Guys, I just had to know. The thing about Don Quijote de la Mancha is that I know a little bit too much about it's place in history. This is to say, that everything about Don Quijote is the funniest prove to me that fandoms/fans has not, and never will change. Don Quijote was written in two parts, Part 1 and Part II. Heres the thing: Miguel de Cervantes was originally wishy washy on finishing Part II, he felt that people didn't get what he wanted to convey in Part I but the book was a smash hit in Spain and neighbors countries; his publisher house was poking him for more.

And then el 'Segundo tomo del ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha: que contiene su tercera salida y es la quinta parte de sus aventuras' by a guy that signed himself as Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda hit the stands. Originally people just thought he was mad someone had written a 'sequel' unautorized by him (and gee, I wonder if that's something published writters also get mad about) but modern days historians are pretty sure about who did the 'sequel' and the summary is that Miguel de Cervantes had personal beef with the guy.

Anyways, going back to Donki. I found two blogs that says that apparently the ejecutives wanted 'to create a new distribution format,[store business] like Don Quijote, who is an action-oriented idealist and does not bow to conventional wisdom or authority.” 

Here's the thing: I think I know too much about the book to be properly satisfied with this explanation. Which is THE most nitpicky nerd thing ever! In turn, this reminds of other things like how the term 'Chai Tea' is extremely contextual. Ah, globalization  truly has a lot of sides. 

Comments

[sonofgodzilla]

I'm not one to argue with Anno. It sort of... it upsets me in a way, but I'm also fascinated in trying to work with it, you know? In reinterpreting it back in fic. I don't know if I'm making sense?

[petsohp]

Unintentional biases do get into writting, as also biases that were not meant to ever think that deep into it.

I don't know if you remember the sitcom Brooklyn 99, but there was a lot of criticism at the same about how it painted a whitewash version of the police institution. The criticism was not unfounded, the united states in particular has a history of cop shows being straight up propaganda it makes fascists blush, but people were more insistent in criticizing b99 than every other cop show on air because the show creator's campaign the show as a beacon of progression due to its cast essemble/storylines.

With this backstory, I land in with your point of reinterpreting it back in something else- the creator's of the show did not want to make a cop propagada show. They wanted to make a sitcom. But the show was created before 2014 Ferguson riots; way before 2020 George Floyd. By the end of the show, you could tell everyone did not wanted to play pretend jokester cops that followed the law. And the show itself....suffered. As a Show.

I'f im making sense about your feeling, then I do get what you mean, altho in a quite morbid way. Maybe Anno didn't think too much of it at the time, but hearing/knowing the reaction and what the symbols on screen means to people can make you fully re conceptualize the work you published.